Che Linlin, Ma Xiaoxiao.
With the command given, the group of people set out slowly.
Inside the carriage, Zhong Lin lifted the curtain and could see the group outside walking silently, always attentive to the surroundings, without anyone speaking a word, the silence itself was somewhat terrifying.
This was an ironclad group, with such strict discipline that it was terrifying, even ingrained in their bones.
Zhong Lin’s impression of Jiang Yuan changed once more, from this group it was clear that this Sister Jiang had planned well in advance, rather than acting on a sudden whim.
Zhong Lin let down the curtain and sat cross-legged, his mind was already immersed in his dantian.
The golden inner breath in his dantian was already full, with a yearning to overflow, which was why Zhong Lin’s eyes occasionally emitted a golden glow, unlike any ordinary person.
Because the dantian had its limits, and the inner breath was full, the next step was to use overwhelmingly powerful force to break through the meridians.
The twelve layers of meridian passage, with each breakthrough of a meridian, the inner breath would be more consolidated, which is when quantity changes result in a qualitative change. Also, each meridian breakthrough causes significant changes when performing martial skills.
For instance, the Hand Three Yin and Hand Three Yang Meridians, if these meridians are unblocked, when Zhong Lin performs finger, palm, claw, fist techniques, and even weapon skills, the inner breath flows smoothly, without hindrance, greatly enhancing the power.
The Foot Three Yin and Foot Three Yang are similar, they also provide great bonuses to leg techniques and qinggong.
Zhong Lin shook his head with a bitter smile: "Twelve layers of meridian passage, each layer a step toward heaven, it seems simple, but within it lies profound intricacy. In the entire Sword Cauldron Sect, there are as many as thirty-four Upper Third Grade Martial Artists, but most are trapped in the Meridian Passage Realm. Apart from the three Supreme Elders, none of the nine Great Success Elders or many True Disciples have stepped into the Pure Essence Realm, which shows just how difficult it truly is."
Zhong Lin had perused the cultivational insights left by many sect predecessors in the Transmission Pavilion, coupled with the system’s assistance, he was already well-versed with the obstacles of the Meridian Passage Realm. But knowing was one thing, applying it in practice was no better than anyone else.
For example, the first layer of the Hand Three Yin Meridians involves the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian, Hand Jueyin Heart Protector Meridian, and Hand Shaoyin Heart Meridian.
To unblock the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian, it requires passing through eleven acupoints: Yunmen, Zhongfu, Tianfu, Xia Bai, Chi Ze, Kongzui, Lieque, Jingqu, Taiyuan, Yuji, and Shaoshang.
The Hand Jueyin Heart Protector Meridian has nine acupoints, and the Hand Shaoyin Heart Meridian also has nine acupoints.
That means to complete the first layer of the meridian passage for the Hand Three Yin Meridians, as many as twenty-nine acupoints need to be broken through, and there are still eleven full layers after that.
Just thinking about it makes one’s head ache.
Zhong Lin finally understood why, besides the three Supreme Elders, all the other top-grade martial artists of the Sword Cauldron Sect were trapped in this realm.
Meridians and acupoints are extremely hidden and fragile within the human body, requiring great caution to breach, any negligence could damage them.
In the initial stages, it is still manageable, if an issue arises with the meridians and acupoints in the hands or feet, at worst, one becomes disabled. But if a problem occurs with the Eight Extraordinary Meridians later, at best, deviation from the proper path occurs resulting in half-body paralysis, at worst, death on the spot.
Zhong Lin slowly pulled a secret manual from his arms, chuckling inwardly: "The greatest advantage of humans is summarizing experiences, and the advantage of having the backing of a big tree is being able to learn from the experiences of predecessors."
The front cover of the secret manual was inscribed with the three large words "Silkworm Silk Strength", it was a martial skill Zhong Lin copied from the Transmission Pavilion.
Having cultivated this martial skill & secret technique could allow the inner breath to be divided like silkworm silk.
This was originally a common martial skill, with high difficulty in cultivation, even upon success, it only had auxiliary effects on delicate weapons like hidden weapons and short blades, thus it was seldom studied by True Disciples in the Transmission Pavilion.
Zhong Lin learned from an autobiographical account of a deceased sect predecessor that this martial skill had auxiliary benefits for meridian passage, hence he sought it out for practice.
Zhong Lin believed that many others had come across this autobiography, and some likely had similar thoughts. However, the Silkworm Silk Strength was easy to learn but difficult to master, reaching a proficiency to aid in meridian passage was challenging, and time spent might not be quicker than using clumsy methods to break through meridians and acupoints.
He gently flipped open the pages, studying them intently.
Skill: Flying Spirit Sword Scripture (Full Level)...
Skill: Silkworm Silk Strength (Beginner)...
Misc: Alchemy: Fourth Grade Elixir (Full Level)...
"System, add points."
With a thought, the infinity symbol after the skill points trembled, and the beginner label after Silkworm Silk Strength rapidly transformed to full level, simultaneously an influx of cultivation experience silently appeared in Zhong Lin’s mind.
After a short while, Zhong Lin suddenly opened his eyes, spreading his fingers apart, and saw strands of inner breath silkworm silk emerging from each fingertip, each of which he could control as easily as an extension of his arm.
Zhong Lin pointed into the void, and the five strands of inner breath silkworm silk shot forth like arrows towards the carriage cabin.
Accompanied by a rain-like splattering sound, the inner breath silkworm silk instantly pierced through the wood, leaving five inconspicuous pinholes resembling black dots, while the rest remained unharmed.
Zhong Lin’s eyes shone brightly, greatly satisfied with the power of the Silkworm Silk Strength.
"Not bad, this silkworm silk strength is exceedingly discreet and rapid, it could certainly serve as a hidden move in a duel."
"Let’s now see if it truly aids in meridian passage."
With this thought, Zhong Lin hesitated no longer, withdrawing a Protecting Veins Pill from his arms and swallowing it.
The Protecting Veins Pill was specifically tailored for the Second Grade Meridian Passage Realm, as the name implies, its function was to protect the meridians, similar to the Five Spirit Pills, although the latter protected the internal organs while the former protected the meridians.
With a focused mind, a thread of inner breath silkworm silk slowly reached toward the location of the Zhongfu acupoint.
Zhongfu acupoint is located on the chest, horizontally in the first intercostal space, lateral to the subclavian fossa, six inches from the anterior midline.
Zhong Lin had already become thoroughly familiar with this location, quickly finding the Zhongfu acupoint. The medicinal power of the Protecting Veins Pill had already infused upon the meridian, emitting a faint soft glow.
Zhong Lin’s mind was tense, controlling the inner breath silkworm silk which resembled a golden needle slowly probing into it.
Initially sensing a faint resistance, if one were to use a violent storm approach, it would be as impenetrable as an iron wall, but the inner breath silkworm silk, like a golden needle threading through, easily slipped through.
Zhong Lin rejoiced within, mobilizing more inner breath this time, significantly more than before, flowing through the gap carved by the Silkworm Silk Strength, gradually pouring in, dismantling all obstacles surrounding it, until half an hour later, the Zhongfu acupoint was completely breached.
"The dam of a thousand miles collapses for lack of an ant hole."
This phrase suddenly appeared in Zhong Lin’s mind.
With inner breath circulating, upon returning to the dantian once more, Zhong Lin could clearly feel a slight change here, becoming more solidified.